ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — For Gail Wideman, the journey to bring Gower Street United official status as an affirming church for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and two-spirited community (LGBT2S) has been the most rewarding of many community projects.
“As a straight, white person, you don’t know what you don’t know about marginalization,” said Wideman, a social worker and chairwoman of Gower Street United’s affirmation committee.
“It’s just such as great process about listening and learning.”
The eastern region’s first united church congregation— dating to 1815 — is taking another historical step — becoming the first in the area to gain affirming status — a formal designation recognizing it for welcoming all through its doors regardless of sexual orientation, culture or race.
Affirming ministries are congregations, presbyteries, conferences, educational institutions, and other ministries within the United Church of Canada (UCC) that publicly declare their commitment to inclusion and justice for people of all sexual orientations and gender identities.
It’s an involved process in which the church must meet a lengthy list of criteria set out by Affirm United, a national, independent non-profit organization associated with the United Church. The Gower committee began working on affirmation status in 2017, but the process really dates back to 2008 when the church embarked on a year-long process to begin performing same-sex marriages.
“The United Church believes everyone is a child of God — period.” — Rev. Pamela Jones-Fitzgerald.
So, by the time it began checking off the requirements for affirmation status, it had a lot of the work already completed.
A celebration ceremony will be held June 5 at 7 p.m. featuring special guests and performances by the Young People’s Choir, Senior Choir, Stella’s Circle Inclusion Choir, Gower Community Band, and the Spectrum Choir.
Besides the LBGT2S community, affirmation is broad in its definition to guard against discrimination by age, culture or race and promotes economic justice, increasing accessibility and caring for the planet.
“The United Church believes everyone is a child of God — period,” said Rev. Pamela Jones-Fitzgerald.
The church congregation voted 97 per cent in favour of affirmation and Jones-Fitzgerald couldn’t think of anyone who has stepped away because of it. But she said inclusivity has had the opposite effect — there’s been new faces in the diverse congregation. The church no longer counts attendance at Sunday services as the only a marker of involvement. Social events, clubs and other activities draw parishioners who may not necessarily be sitting in the pews each week.
“People are spiritual people and are longing for a place to belong. What we are saying is we want you to belong to our community of faith,” Jones-Fitzgerald said.
“It’s all about meeting people where they are,” said Barb Myles, another committee member.
Larry Kelly grew up Catholic and moved away from that church when he came out. When he and then partner Karl Wells decided to marry in 2010, they wanted a church wedding and did so at Gower.
Kelly is now an integral part of the church’s planning committees.
“I hadn’t gone to church in 30 years,” he said.
The work done by Gower in 2008 towards same-sex marriage ceremonies was really the heavy lifting, he said.
“That’s when the real deep conversations were had,” Kelly said.
Gower board chairman Lorne LeDrew said the process of gaining affirming status went smoothly.
“There was very little reluctance,” he said. “And the older people in the congregation were the first to say ‘of course.’”
Gower and many other churches are already welcoming but official affirming status ensures they commit to sharing that news with others who may have heard the opposite message elsewhere in opposing denominations.
“Because voices of condemnation, exclusion and hatred are loud and persistent within the church and in society, affirming ministries make a public statement about who they are and what they believe, and to be a role model for other ministries,” says the church’s backgrounder on Gower’s affirming process.
Indeed, in a nearly 106-page resource booklet for affirming ministries, “Open Hearts,” Affirm United details the process that churches must go through to be certified, but also notes the misconceptions about the Bible that the fundamental Christian right faiths grab onto and proclaim loudly.
The document points out some people lump all religious organizations together and think that is the message of all churches — that the Bible is against homosexuality.
But Affirm United, which receives an annual membership fee of $100 from certified churches, notes many different things that are acceptable — including eating shrimp — could be interpreted as forbidden by the Bible. Other passages might promote things that are unacceptable in modern society.
A few examples from scripture cited in a Affirm United worksheet that are jarring: wives, be subject to your husbands. (Eph 5:22); do not charge interest on loans, except loans to foreigners. (Deut 23:19–20); don’t plant two different kinds of seed in the same field. (Deut 22:9); you shall not wear tattoos. (Lev 19:26); don’t eat shrimp (Deut 14:9); if a man claims the woman he married is not a virgin and her family can’t prove her virginity, she should be put to death (Deut 22:19- 20).
Ardent religious opponents of same-sex marriages have cherry-picked the passages that they maintain speak against homosexuality — people who have sexual relations with others of the same sex deserve to die. (Rom 1:26–32) — while the condemning of seafood lovers in society is pretty much unheard of.
“You can prove or disprove anything in the Bible. All you have to do is swing it your way,” Jones-Fitzgerald said of the pitfalls of literal translations.
There are more than 130 affirming ministries in Canada and, according to Gower United, the only other church in Newfoundland and Labrador is in Labrador City.
While Gower United will receive its certificate Wednesday, the work just begins then to keep the commitment of inclusivity moving forward with its ongoing action plan, Kelly and Jones-Fitzgerald said.
Plans include a pride flag outside the church — there is one in the sanctuary now.
Although the affirming guide includes hymns that are more inclusive, tradition and beloved music isn’t being thrown out.
“Our church is not going to change, really. It’s changing in that it is evolving to work at breaking down all the barriers to discrimination,” Fitzgerald-Jones said.
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